LOWELL, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday praised Interim Massachusetts State Police Col. John Mawn’s decision to relieve Trooper Michael Proctor of his duties after a mistrial was declared in the high-profile Karen Read murder case.
“The colonel made the right decision,” Healey said when asked if Proctor should be fired over a series of disparaging texts about Read that he sent to friends, family, and his supervisors after being assigned to investigate the death of John O’Keefe, Read’s Boston police officer boyfriend. “This is the right move to remove him. There is a process and we have to wait for that process to go forward.
Although the department still employs Proctor, he can no longer work cases or function as a trooper pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation and duty status hearing where officials will determine how to proceed with his employment.
During cross-examination, Read’s attorneys had Proctor read the text messages in front of the court. In those texts, he commented on Read’s physical appearance used vulgar language, suggested he had made up his mind based on evidence as to Read’s guilt, and said he wished Read would kill herself.
Healey previously called Proctor’s behavior “terrible” and said that it harmed the integrity of law enforcement. She doubled down on those thoughts Tuesday.
“There’s no tolerance for that behavior, frankly, with anyone in law enforcement or anyone in public service,” Healy told reporters after speaking at a housing event in Lowell. “I said what I said and I meant what I said about what I said. Again, the colonel made the right move here.”
After a separate event in Boston, Mawn condemned Proctor’s comments and said that his department must work to regain the trust of the public after everything that came to light during Read’s trial.
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